Complicated
by allcanadiangal
Summary: Meg and Luke are hitting it off... but Jimmy isn't very happy about being brushed off for a music-loving loser. JJ is still struggling with his feelings for Beth, and also with his feelings with the new girl.
1. Confessions, Smirking Sisters, and Teddy...

"I can't believe it, Roxanne! He likes me! He likes me! Oh my good God, he really likes me!" Meg squealed, grabbing the soft blue material of Roxanne's shirtsleeve. "Didn't you just hear me?" She babbled on. "He REALLY likes me, Roxie!" "So you said," Roxanne replied dryly, adding the last touches to her well done-up face. She couldn't help but smile at her best friend's antics. She could hardly remember when she had been so ecstatic over a guy admitting that he liked her. Meg was so innocent, though, and something as little as that could set her off. Meg paced around the small room, twirling around every two steps. "And it was so dreamy the way he said it," she lowered her voice to imitate Luke's, "I like you, Meg." She shook her head, biting her lower lip, trying to remember how he had said it. "No, no it was more like, 'I like you.' No! Roxanne, help me here! Ah, here it is, 'I like you. There! And his eyes were so blue and." Roxanne looked up from brushing her dark brown hair. "You know how awkward it sounds, saying that you love yourself. Anyone with a mind would seriously be wondering what's wrong with you," she teased, fastening a black clip into her hair. "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking. Aren't you, Will?" Patty grinned from the partially open doorway. Meg's face matched the colour of her red sweater as she rushed to close the door on Patty's face. "That was so embarrassing!" she breathed, glaring when Roxanne muffled a giggle into her dress. "Roxanne!" She whined, hitting the aforementioned good-naturedly. "You're supposed to be helping me here!" "That's okay, Meg. You know I'll always help you because I like you!" She giggled out and dashed out the door with Meg following in close pursuit, with a small stuffed animal as a weapon.  
  
A/N: Give me more ideas people! I sure could use them! 


	2. Chasing Best Friends, Red Socks, and Rol...

Meg darted through the narrow entryway, clutching her tattered stuffed bear in one hand while trying to snatch Roxanne's sweater with the other, her motive to seize Roxanne and tackle her to the tiled floor. Roxanne expertly flitted out of Meg's reach and swerved abruptly into the kitchen, where Meg's father and older brother, JJ, were straining to grasp the forbidden cookie jar on the top shelf.  
  
"But they're sugar cookies, my favourite." JJ protested, striving to brush his fingers against the cool porcelain. "Yes, your mother is a very cruel woman indeed. Doesn't it say somewhere in the Constitution about sugar- deprived men?" JJ's father gazed up at the faded green jar covetously.  
  
Meg's cheeks were candy-apple red, and soft wisps of dark blonde hair, which had escaped from where the rollers held them captive, curled over her forehead. Roxanne's breaths came out in rapid rasps, and her legs ached and begged for mercy. Seeing no way to escape, she scuttled to the washroom, plotting to lock herself in, protecting herself from Meg's clutches. But before she could act on her masterful plan, the familiar melody of the doorbell echoed in the house.  
  
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Roxanne!!! Luke's here, he just told me he likes me, and he's going to see me in rollers and my pink bunny-print pyjamas!" Meg relayed this information to Roxanne, who promptly hustled Meg upstairs into the secure haven of her room. JJ lightly lifted the curtains away from the picture window and called up to Meg, "Don't get your knickers in a knot, Meg. It's one of the girls from my high school, don't worry. It's not Luke. Does Luke have red hair and green eyes?"  
  
Meg appeared at the top of the stairwell, face flushed with embarrassment, she stroked the rough and tattered fur of her stuffed bear, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "What makes you think I thought it was Luke? I didn't think it was Luke. I the thought never even crossed my mind that it was Luke," she fibbed, mumbling into the coffee-coloured bear, now tan after countless washings. "Um, maybe the fact that you were fidgety all day, your eyes are all misty, and the fact that you say Luke's name after every three words. That could have given it away, Meg. Any one of those three things," JJ teasingly smirked. "You notice you said Luke three times in the last three sentences?" JJ ducked to narrowly miss the flying bear that Meg threw at him.  
  
"Now take that sock out of your hair and come down. I want you to meet someone," JJ smiled at his expressive sister. Meg stared at the red sock she had pulled out of her hair strangely. "What's Will's sock doing in my hair?" she muttered to herself, and then snapped herself back into reality. "Oh, um, Luke," she quickly answered, still gawking at the piece of red wool. "Meg, I asked you to meet someone, not tell me who you dream about every night," he grinned, crouching to miss the soaring sock as well. "If you keep up, we could start putting out laundry out near the front, where all the neighbours could see it. If would be pretty scary to see you underwear first thing in the morning, don't you think?" he grinned. Since Meg had no more articles of clothing left to throw, she obliged, trudging slowly down the stairs. "Good girl, Meg," JJ patted Meg's roller-covered hair affectionately. "Meg, this is Mandi, Mandi, this is Meg." Mandi had straight auburn hair, high cheekbones, large almond-shaped hunter green eyes, and a honey clear complexion. "Hi, Peg. I've heard a lot about you from JJ. Hope we can get along," Mandi shyly introduced herself, offering a friendly smile, which revealed her straight teeth. "Hi, Mandi. It's Meg, not Peg. And since we've gotten that clear, I'm sure we'll be fine," Meg politely replied, returning her smile.  
  
After a few minutes of mingling, Mandi handed JJ a grey notebook. "JJ, you left this on the bench at practise. Just came by to give it back." She smiled again, and waved a small good-bye before turning on her heel and strolling away. JJ locked the door closed with a click. "So what do you think about her?" he asked, running his fingers through his dark hair as he leaned against the locked door. "As a friend, or a girlfriend?" Meg inquired, moving to pick up the sock and her stuffed bear. "As a. you know." JJ blushed cranberry-red. "She's pretty but she's not Beth," Meg curtly replied, leaving the sock and the bear on the floor and she quickly walked up the stairs, not looking back.  
  
"Meg." he started, but she was already up the stairs. JJ sighed, remembering Beth's bright, cheery face with her cobalt-blue eyes and her cinnamon curls. Her smile. Her dimples. Her lips, round and full, perfect for kissing. JJ shook his head softly, repeating the words he had told her before storming away. "You can't not be my girlfriend on Saturday and be my girlfriend the rest of the week. It just doesn't work like that." He had repeated those words over and over, like a mantra, every time he felt like going back to her. It just wasn't meant to be. He retreated to his cookie business.  
  
Roxanne held a dark blue dress up against Meg, and after a few moments of scrutinizing, tossed it into the growing pile of fashion road kill heaped up on Meg's bed. "You know, you should really tell Luke how you feel about him, Meg. He probably thinks this is a one-way relationship right now, when you very well know that the feeling is mutual." Meg blushed as she spun around in a grey wool skirt and a light blue blouse cotton blouse. "I'm not like you, Roxanne. I can't just go up to a guy and tell them that I like them. I stutter and stagger, and my mouth goes dry, like a desert, and I just don't know what to say," she peeled off her new outfit and tugged on her pyjamas for the thousandth time.  
  
"Then let me do the talking," Roxanne said simply, holding a lilac sweater in front of her, then making a face, let it fall to the floor. "If only it were that simple," Meg mused. "It's not like he'll just march in here." she stared at the window, speechless, for about half a minute. "What's wrong?" Roxanne shook her friend's shoulder, obviously concerned. "Too much coffee in the morning? Has it finally dawned on you that you want to balance a butter knife on your head for a living? Have you." Meg blinked. "What?"  
  
"Forget the butter knife, okay? Do us both a favour. Seriously though, what's going on?" Meg could only point out the window with a trembling finger. "Luke's here," she answered hoarsely. "And this time, I am wearing rollers and bunny-print pyjamas. Joy." 


	3. Daisy Underwear, Ruby Nails and, Aching ...

Thank you so much Kris Wright, Apolla, oboegirl06, swim6156, and stay_gold for your reviews! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!  
  
Sure enough, the shining dark hair, small as a pencil dot, bobbed up and down on the flagstone driveway. "It's Luke!" Meg shrilled, quaking fingers unravelling her mussed hair from the rollers. Raking her fingers through her dark blonde whorls, she scowled at her reflection in the mirror. Quickly unbuttoning her pyjama top, she threw on a striped blue sweater. Leaving the pile of clothes on the carpeted floor, she turned swiftly to Roxanne, who was picking at her ruby-coloured nails. "Rox-anne! Do I look all right?" Meg prodded stabbing Roxanne in the elbow.  
  
"Meg," tears of laughter glistened in Roxanne's expressive dark eyes. "Your sweater's nice, but you're wearing your pyjama bottoms! Shoo, shoo, Luke's going to be up here any minute now!"  
  
As if on cue, someone rapped on the door three times. "Hello? Meg? Someone's here to see you!" JJ's voice, which had usually comforted Meg over the years, now brought dread and panic. "Umm.. I'll be there right in a second!" Meg called tentatively, spinning to Roxanne for advice, with pleading sky blue eyes, her glossed lips turned down in a pout. "Well, what are you doing, standing there, Meg? Put on that big smile of yours and open the door!" Meg gave her a blank look, which made Roxanne twitter with laughter.  
  
"Rox-anne!" she whined, stamping her foot. "Me-eg!" JJ's voice holding the same annoyance floated under the partition of the door. In a more hushed voice, he turned to the tall figure beside him. "She probably wants to look mighty pretty for you. You know how she is, taking 1 hour-long showers, primping up her hair, the works," JJ grinned his trademark smirk. "I heard that!" Meg protested, nonetheless smoothing her hair out. "Do I look okay?" She posed Roxanne, who was still hooting with laughter. "Your pants," she whopped, holding her sides, which were aching with mirth. "You know how my brother is. He'll whip open the door any second now, and does Luke really need to see me in my daisy print panties?"  
  
"Meg!" JJ twisted the brass doorknob, and let the wooden door swing open, to reveal a pyjama-pant-clad Meg and a guffawing Roxanne, who was rolling around on the floor holding her sides. Meg looked up from poking her best friend to see JJ and, in all his tall, white-toothed smile, dark haired glory.. Jimmy Reilly. 


	4. Laughter to Panic, Lacy Pillows, and Jim...

"Um, Jimmy, what a surprise! We weren't expecting you," Meg stammered, not daring to make eye contact with the tall dark-haired male planted in front of her. "And from the looks of it, you weren't expecting anyone else, either," Jimmy flashed a brilliant white-toothed smile, motioning to her bunny-print pyjama pants. Meg blushed the colour of ripe strawberries.  
  
Roxanne, who had just seconds ago been bent over double laughing, was now sprawled on the carpet, a look of disbelief and alarm crossing her pleasant features. "What? You're not Luke!" she exclaimed, then clamped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. Meg spun around, silencing Roxanne with the look of detestation in her eyes. "I sure am not!" Jimmy grinned, trying to keep the mood light. "Why were you expecting him or something? You sure don't look it!" An easy smile lit up Jimmy's face once more. "Actually, we were. Today is Patty's piano lesson, and he's her teacher. He's actually quite good, and he's supposed to be here a few minutes early, to give her a new piece of music," Meg answered curtly, as if talking to someone she had just been introduced to.  
  
"Well, then, I was just going this way, Meg, and thought to stop by, maybe see you. I'd really like to talk to you, Meg. It's been a while, so if you have time, maybe we could get back together, talk like the old times."  
  
"I'm sorry, Jimmy, but Luke is going to be here any minute now, and I promised Patty I would listen to her play. I should be heading down, now," Meg pronounced Luke's name as if he was a dart, and by saying his name, he could pin Jimmy to the wall. "I'm sure you've got some other business to attend to, Jimmy, anyways. Didn't you say you had somewhere else to go? Well, then, I won't be keeping you, wasting time for you like I've been doing since I met you. Good day, Jimmy," Meg said stiffly, turning back to her dresser, as if she was hunting for something.  
  
"Meg...." Jimmy continued, stepping forward to grasp Meg's blue clad arm. Meg hastily pried off his strong fingers, one by one, and even went as far as to brush her sweater off, as if something filthy had touched her, like a germ-infested hand or a shiny roach. "I said good day," she asserted, more firmly now. "Must I show you the door?" The whole time, JJ was silently watching the whole exchange. Now, he opened his mouth to speak. "Meg's right, Jimmy. You really should get going, it is getting late, and Luke will be here any second now." When Jimmy didn't make any movement to leave, JJ gripped his wrist tightly and clenched his teeth together, so when he talked, it came out very thinly. "I mean it. Now." Jimmy finally turned on his heel and stalked out the door, banging it behind him.  
  
Meg collapsed on a chair draped with a frilly pink sheet and sighed. All the tension that she had bottled up in her body was slowly slipping away. She clenched and unclenched her fist, and Roxanne cleared out a place on the bed and sat down beside her. "You were really brave to say that to him, Meg," she lightly rested her hand on her best friend's shoulder. "I'm really proud of you," Roxanne finished, patting her gently on the arm, before smoothing out the bedspread and slowly standing up. "You sound like you're reciting from the how-to-be-a-mother handbook," Meg warned, smiling for the first time in half an hour.  
  
Roxanne hit her with a pillow. "Come on, Goldilocks, we have to find you something to wear," she dragged her protesting friend from the chair and stopped in front of the yawning closet. Her fashion-eye immediately picked out a navy blue pair of wide legged pants. "Here. These are perfect," she held it up against her flaxen-haired friend. "Now, throw these on, while I go down and see what your scheming siblings are up to," her eyes twinkled, "and to warn you when Luke comes at the front step." Now it was Meg's turn to hit her with a lacy pillow. "You do that," Meg rolled her baby blue's and pushed Roxanne away. "Shoo, shoo, I'm changing," Meg herded her away like a shepherd would herd a flock of sheep.  
  
Roxanne grumbled, but nonetheless stepped into the corridor and closed the door shut behind her, needless to say, quieter than Jimmy had when he had made his big exit. Just as Meg was pulling down her pyjama pants, Roxanne stampeded back in. "Rox-anne! I told you, I'm changing," Meg said, embarrassed, covering her bare middle and the beginnings of her daisy print underwear with the bedspread. "No, it's not that I barged into here on purpose, Meg, believe me. I'm just warning you, that Luke's in the foyer right now, and he doesn't look happy." Roxanne's words rushed out like a thundering waterfall.  
  
"What? Oh my God, do you think he ran into Jimmy?" Meg had already pulled up her pants and was already half way down the stairs. Sure enough, Luke was standing in the entrance, and the look on his face was anything but happy. 


	5. Rouge Cheeks, Misunderstandings, and a D...

"Nice pants." Luke broke the tension, a stiff smile on his usually bright face. "Thanks," Meg replied shyly, smoothing the soft material under her fingers. Another silence filled the room. Meg shuffled uncomfortably on the steps, twirling a swirl of corn-coloured hair around her finger. Luke stared down at the piano books he clutched in his arms as if the small print on the back was the most interesting thing ever. His whole expression changed. "Why'd you do it, Meg? You knew I liked you. is this your way of saying that it's not working for you? I thought when I kissed you at the New Year's ceremony the feeling was mutual. Now, I'm not so sure." Luke raged, his knuckles white from clutching the worn books so tightly, and his face the colour of a blazing fire.  
  
"Luke, you have to understand. You see, Jimmy came over HERE to talk to me, because he probably heard that you and me, well.... and you know what? I told him to leave me alone, because I was with you now, and he left. And I have a feeling, that when he walked out that door, he was walking down that door of our lives forever." She stressed the 'our' in the sentence, looking at Luke squarely with her azure eyes.  
  
"Really?" Luke asked, baffled. His knuckles had turned their normal colour again. "Really," Meg confirmed, smiling hesitantly. She gingerly walked down the carpeted steps, standing right in front of Luke. "Now, Patty's going to have a big fuss about being three minutes late. Let's go, music-boy," Meg slipped her arm in the crook of Luke's arm. Without even thinking, Luke leaned forward slowly and kissed her softly on the rouge cheek. The simple touch of the cold lips on Meg's warm skin sent shivers up and down her spine. When Meg stood motionless at the entryway of the family room, Luke laughingly hit her on the arm and said, amused, "Patty's waiting."  
  
Jimmy Reilly stared through the partly exposed window, seeing Luke and Meg laughing, and even caught a few words of Meg telling Luke how he had walked out of their lives forever. As the kissed sweetly, Jimmy swore under his breath, making small puffs of mist, "Megan Elisabeth Pryor, I'll get back with you if it's the last thing I do. Even if it means murder." And with that, he strode haughtily away, pulling the lapels of his jacket closer to his body. 


	6. Playing Piano, Luke, and a Mysterious Fi...

JJ watched with a slight smile on his face as Luke and Meg giggled and looked into each other's eyes, while trying in vain to remember that Patty was sitting right there. Patty had her fair share of eye rolling and sighs, and had her hands draped limply over the ivory keys, as if knowing that they would never move. JJ remembered when it was like that with him and Beth; puppy love. They used to chase after each other, their eyes always locked in a wistful gaze. That's all over, though, he reminded himself, repeating yet again the words he had hammered into his brain.  
  
Meg tore her gaze from Luke's enchanting dark blue eyes and focused her attention on her little dark-haired sister, whose eyes seemed to be permanently rolled up to the ceiling. Meg cleared her throat for the thousandth time and before she spoke, she thought she saw a dark figure against the lacy green curtains of the front window. She shook her head; it was probably all her imagination. "Umm, Patty, let's hear that piece again. You know the one about the man who stood by the sea," she briskly told her sister, her eye still on the shadowy figure, which hadn't moved. "You mean 'Stand By Me'?" Patty teased good-naturedly, tease lighting up her irritated features. The dark lashes that ringed her eyes so contrastingly blinked. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Meg said distractedly, squinting at the window.  
  
Patty stared at her older sister, obviously concerned. She knew that Meg could be a ditz sometimes, but this was bad, even for Meg. Meg turned to look at Luke again, who had an amused smile on his face. But one look at Meg's eyes, and he quickly mumbled, "Um, Meg, could you get me a glass of soda? I'm kind of thirsty." Meg approved with his question and thanked him with her eyes. She quickly stood up, so hastily that it pushed the stool over. Not even noticing, she rushed to the door and wrenched it open without a second glance at the piano.  
  
Patty grinned. "I never knew the kitchen was outside!" Luke smiled, despite himself.  
  
Meg quietly shut the door behind her, and inched toward the shrubbery, by the window, where she had thought to have seen the shadowy silhouette. Brushing her sun-streaked hair behind her ear, she wished for the hundredth time to have glossy dark hair like Roxanne, so that she could blend in, not be noticed. She shivered in the January cold. Bright flakes of snow started to drift down, like clumps of icing sugar. Anyone who hadn't seen her walk out the door would surely see her now, she thought, with her bright gold hair the colour of a neon sign. She checked the row of shrubs were she had spotted the murky form. Bare. Nothing but ice-hardened soil, and a few dried leaves left from November. She squinted at the spot once again, feeling that something wasn't right. Then she saw it. Two imprints of a shoe, footprints. They were too big to be her mother's, who was the gardener of the house, and too small to be her father's, who always loved painting the window frames. She felt a shadow wash over her. Before she could turn, she was rammed to the ground by someone behind her. Tall, and dark. The figure at the window.  
  
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, guys!!! 


	7. Blackness, Oatmeal Coloured Sidewalk, an...

Blackness. That was all Meg could see. She had seen black before, but not this intensely. This black was the blackest of the black. She could feel her hands and feet pinned to the ground, and something very heavy was stretched out against her back, crushing her. She struggled to move, but the force kept her ensnared. She felt something sticky in her mouth, and it tasted like blood. The substance was thick, and it threatened to choke her. Forcing her eyes open against the burning pain, she could feel the frostiness of fresh snow on her cheek. Clad in only her pyjama pants and a thin sweater, she shivered in the frigid air.  
  
She was jerked roughly from the ground, a large, strong hand clamped over her eyes, obscuring her view. Blackness, again. She felt the captor swing her over its side as if she was a rag doll and slung her on its shoulder. The hand that covered her eyes now grappled her calves, so that she didn't collapse entirely. Meg, seeing her opportunity, opened her mouth to shriek. Before she could utter a squeal, the captor had her flattened roughly to a brick wall. Shocked by the sudden blow, she crumpled onto the oatmeal- coloured sidewalk. The captor, oblivious to his anguished hostage, scooped her up from the ground and flung her over his shoulder, making Meg sprawl limply over his broad frame. "See, Meg, I always stick to my word. No one, and I mean no one, makes a fool of Jimmy Reilly."  
  
All was silent for a few minutes, except for the ragged breathing of Meg, and the footsteps of her captor. Breaking the silence was the sound of fist against flesh, and all was quiet again. Blackness. 


	8. Worn out Carpets, Silver Lockets, and Te...

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviewers, for your kind words and thoughtful criticism. It helps me write a much better story... you are a key part to my writing!!! Please keep them coming in.... Now, back to the story.  
  
Patty knew Luke was distracted. His smooth forehead was furrowed, and his dark eyebrows were knit tightly together. He usually heaped Patty with admiration and praise, but today was only he didn't even bother to open his scrunched up mouth. His gaze was firmly set on the window, which was draped with lacy green curtains. He could no longer see Meg's silhouette, just a blank yard with small flakes of descending snow.  
  
She must be okay, Luke assured himself, but before he knew it, he had wrung his hands so many times that they could have passed for a limp dishcloth. His hair, in its typical mussed-up state, was raked through and pulled, and the carpet in front of the main entrance was worn through with his quick, determined pacing. Glancing out of the window for the hundredth time, he peered out at the fresh, unmarred snow. He blinked.  
  
Snatching his heavy brown coat from the stair railing, he decisively strode to the door, and pushed open the intricate brass handle. Tucking his hands into his coat pockets, his breath formed puffs of cold air, like smoke billowing from a freight train. Treading towards a patch of fresh snow, he knelt down next to it, peering close. He could see the tracks where Meg's delicate fingers had been dragged through the icy snow, trying to find a handhold. A few splashes of pale red blood stained the stark white snow. The pearly winter sunlight glared on a piece of silver hidden in the powdery snow. Luke fervently brushed the flakes off of the fragment, and inspected it closely. It was a part of the silver locket he had given her on New Years'. His skilled fingers opened the clasp, and he fingered the small, heart-shaped photograph of Meg, with her beautiful, gold-braided head thrown back in laughter, her cobalt blue eyes dancing with merriment. Seated beside her was himself, admiring her beauty, a faint smile on his face.  
  
Luke had always loved it when she smiled; it felt like the whole world lit up. Those perfect white squares, all in a row, encased with those glossy red lips made him warm all over. The laughter was like music to his ears, like a familiar melody. The dimples the spotted her face looked like indents in cream. Her milky white skin turned rosy pink, and glowed. She had always looked like an angel, with her soft flaxen tresses, and her dimpled smile.  
  
With a determined air, he placed the locket in his pocket, and started walking.  
  
Not far away, a lone cry was heard, as she slumped against her captor's body. The familiar cool metal that pressed against her neck wasn't there anymore. Her locket was gone. Meg closed her eyes, but couldn't cry. It hurt too much to cry, it took too much concentration. Gone was her link to Luke, the only thing she had of him. She remembered how he told her how he loved her smile. Meg opened her eyes, but couldn't smile. It hurt too much. 


	9. Pea Green Eyes, Singing in the Bathtub, ...

Rat-a-tat. Rat-rat-a-tat. Roxanne picked off a piece of lint off of her pea - green sweater as she surveyed her reflection in the full-length mirror. The corners of her liquid brown eyes crinkled when she remembered how Meg had fawned over the sweater, raving on and on about how it was the colour of Luke's eyes in the bright sunlight. It had made no difference when Roxanne had reminded her that Luke's eyes were dark blue. When Meg got wound up, she just kept going and going until she either lost her voice or Roxanne tackled her to the floor and smacked duck tape over her mouth.  
  
The constant knocking on the door started again. Roxanne rolled her eyes and stripped off her sweater, changing into a light blue long sleeve cotton shirt, which she had snatched out of Meg's closet when she wasn't looking. "Mom," she hollered down the winding corridor. "Can you get that?" No answer. Roxanne cocked her head up slightly, and then shook her head lovingly when she heard the sound of off-key singing from the bathroom. Running her long fingers through her thick coffee-coloured hair, she tried to look as presentable as possible in case it was a possible date. Gliding down the narrow staircase, which opened gracefully into the foyer, she gingerly flipped the lock, and opened the door a crack.  
  
One large blue eye stared back at her. "Luke? What are you doing here?" She asked, confused. "I mean, you're supposed to be at Meg's remember? You were right there when I left, and you're still supposed to be there, you know, and Mr. Pryor only pays for how long you teach, he says money doesn't grow on trees, and I know, because I helped Meg baby-sit Will before, and he doesn't give money away, and if you told Meg to teach Patty piano, believe me, you're out of luck, because she knows nothing about piano expect that it's a big wooden thing with white and black rectangles all over it and it makes a lot of noise, and..."  
  
Luke put up one hand, more confused then ever, his brow furrowed and his eyes as large as silver coins. "Huh?" was all he could muster, his mouth agape, and a filmy, diaphanous look in his eyes. Roxanne blinked twice. "Uh, don't worry, I just blather when I'm confused."  
  
Luke still looked sceptical, his hand still limply drooping in front of her face like a dead salmon. He patted her head, concerned. "I'll take your word on it, and I'll pray." Roxanne stamped her foot, and her lower lip puffed up in a pout. "The real reason I'm her is not to hear you speak so fast that you're breaking all the speed limits in America. I'm sure there's a law against talking too fast and driving the recipient crazy somewhere. Anyway," Luke rubbed his head from thinking too hard. "I came for your help." His face turned serious, and his usually brilliant sapphire eyes turned dark, slate grey, and his usually quirked up lips was set in a determined line. "Meg's gone. And I think I know where she is. But I need your help." The only sound was the grandfather clock punctuated the silence with its precise ticking and the sound of Roxanne falling to the ground with a soft thump. As Luke bent down to drag the limp girl to a couch, his rosary slipped out of his coat pocket and slid onto the tiled floor. Luke scooped up the string of beads, and fingered each one, saying a quick prayer. Luke needed all the help he could get. 


	10. Floral Mutants, Sore Muscles, and Long J...

A/N: Thank you guys! I really need more reviews, though, so that I know whether to keep this story on ff.net or not. I'm really bombarded with work, and I need to know whether to keep writing or to remove the story. I think if you give me 3 or 4 good ones... you guys really are the best, and your reviews have really helped me. But please, please, please... I really need to know whether or not to finish the story. Your support really helps. (Kisses) I love you all!  
  
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Roxanne sat upright on the stiff cot, her back as rigid as a board. Her eyes were still tightly closed, and her hands were groping in the air, as if trying to grasp an invisible hand. Luke gently eased her against the fortress of pillows leaning against the wall, rubbing her back and murmuring incoherent words. "Take me instead... Take me instead..." she shrieked, writhing underneath the tangled sheets. She licked parched lips and shrank away from Luke, her eyes opening slightly, so she could only see a hazy mist of colour. "Don't hurt me, please!" she squeaked out, edging away from Luke until she had plastered herself against the wall, bringing the whirl of ashen coloured bed sheets with her.  
  
"It's okay, Roxanne, it's me, Luke. Remember, the guy with the hair that looks like a rat died, who makes fun of your best friend, but secretly likes her, whose life is messed up, and get's confused all the time? That's me." Luke nodded his head sullenly, staring at the peeling wallpaper of the room. The green wallpaper was decorated with huge, oversized bright yellow sunflowers. The wallpaper was mismatched, so some flowers had two centres, like some kind of floral mutant. Luke glanced back at Roxanne, who was finally starting to gain her senses. Understanding filled her eyes. "What are you doing here? And, where's Meg? Where's Meg? Why isn't Meg with you? And, why I am I screaming so loud?" She asked frantically, her voice going up a notch every time she spoke. She braced her hands on his shoulders and shook him.  
  
"Because I feel like it, I'm not sure, I'm not sure, and because she's not here, and I have NO idea," he replied, ticking his fingers off, while flicking away from Roxanne's iron-grip. "You women sure can squeeze and scream when you feel the need to," he complained, kneading his raw muscles like a piece of fresh dough. Roxanne pouted, and gently cradled her throbbing fingers to her bosom. "Well, you didn't have to HIT me," she whined, her lip curled down and her perfectly shaped eyebrows knit tightly together. Then, realization hit her hard. She jumped up off the divan and seized Luke's shoulders once again. "Ow," he complained, his face contorting into his own version of a pout. "Listen here, mister, and listen good. We're going to do everything we can to find Meg, you hear? Whatever it takes, as many broken nails as it needs, I'm ready." She released her vice-like grip from Luke's tender shoulders and stood up straight, jutting her thumb into her chest.  
  
"Um, you might want to change out of your long johns, first, Roxanne. Don't want to startle any squirrels out of their trees, now do we?" He teased, relishing the flustered reaction that Roxanne delivered. "Just so you know, there are no squirrels at this time of the year, and secondly, I was just about to change," she haughtily replied, striding away arrogantly. Forgetting about the trail of sheets that was streaming behind her, she tripped over a cream coloured bed sheet, and tumbled down, exposing her cotton covered bottom for everyone to see. Luke stifled a snort, and turned around to see a squirrel plummet out of a tree and scurry away, his tiny paws drumming on the asphalt road.  
  
"Wrong about two things now, are we now?" He grinned, enjoying every minute of her tomato coloured face. "Oh, don't worry dear, I'm sure it was all a coincidence. He was just acting a little squirrelly, isn't that right." He leisurely checked his wristwatch. "Run along now, sweetie, we don't want to startle anyone else." He smiled innocently and swivelled around sharply, leaving Roxanne to tend her sore bottom, and to smoulder at Luke's poised back.  
  
As soon as Luke was sure that Roxanne had padded softly away, tears filled his eyes. A long crow perched atop a snow-laden branch cawed, flailing his wings furiously. Within seconds, he thrashed his black feathers until he soared past the horizon, only a speck of black against the sapphire sky. As a lone tear slowly inched down his cheek, he propped his chin on the nest of his hands and watched as the crow gradually grew smaller and smaller, until he totally disappeared. 


	11. Reflections, Bandstand, and Blue Eyes

Luke couldn't help but feel a little impressed. Roxanne had always struck him as the type of girl who would spend hours in the bathroom trying on different outfits while her best friend was out in the cold, quite possibly frozen to death. But as soon as she had disappeared into her bedroom, she had just as quickly reappeared, dressed in a blue plaid skirt and a ill- matching yellow cardigan, with three of the buttons missing. But the look on Roxanne's face showed just how much she didn't care. The only thing that she cared about now was finding Meg and bringing her home safely. Meg was the very best friend she had, more of a sister, really. And losing Meg would be like loosing a piece of her heart.  
  
Luke's strides were quick and confident, but only his eyes showed how uncertain he really was about what he was going to do. Pulling the lapels of his dark brown coat closer to him, he shivered in the cold, but kept his brisk pace. Looking over his shoulder to see if Roxanne was catching up, Luke let out a sigh. The rush of air formed mist in the air, and hung there for a second, before the wispy smoke billowed away. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes. He told himself that it was because of the intense cold, but his heart told him otherwise. Meg. The girl with the cornflower blue stare who played with the tassels of her scarf whenever she was embarrassed. Meg. The girl whose lips tasted like honey, and whose laugh sounded like the gentle tinkling of silver bells. Meg. The love of his life.  
  
He had first realized that he had fallen in love with Meg when he had seen her on Bandstand, as she sat in the judge's seat, her eyebrow's furrowed in concentration, and biting her lower lip as she tried to come up with a score. Her golden-blonde hair had been twisted into a simple bun, and her clothes were plain, but had a certain look of elegance when Meg wore them. But it was her face he fell in love with. That smooth brow, that was so often furrowed in deep thought, those delicate lashes, which veiled her large eyes, her perfectly shaped eyebrows, her sensitive mouth and nose. Those eyes. That smile. It was love.  
  
Roxanne's leather high heels clattered on the cement sidewalk. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her reflection glaring off of the glass at the showcase of a clothing store. Her usual thick eye makeup and cakey blush were wiped off her face, and she saw herself for who she really was. She had just turned into a boy-crazy girl because it was something that could hide her true, unsure self. Her deliberate saunters and flirty looks were replaced by limping and teary eyes. Her father had abused her when she was little, and had made her do things she never wanted to remember. By throwing herself at every guy she saw, she thought that it would even out the score with her and her father, and maybe not make her feel as dirty and ugly as her father had insisted that she was every night before dragging her to his bedroom to do the unthinkable.  
  
It was Meg who had brought her out of her shell, who saw her for who she really was, not some slut who wore miniskirts that looked like she had tied a sock around her hips, and sweaters that were 12 sizes to small. She had always made her laugh, which her unusual antics and odd faces. But it was her eyes that Roxanne loved most about her. So expressive, so full of life, always sparkling with laughter. Her brown eyes had long since turned dull after all those days lying on her father's bed in the morning, the part between her legs hurting, and the bed cold and wet. Alone.  
  
Meg was all she had left. Without her... well, it wouldn't come to that, she decided, jogging to catch up with Luke, while trying vainly to pull down her 3-inch skirt, which hitched up while she walked. Without Meg, she was nothing.  
  
Luke sighed, staring at the poster slathered on the wall, screaming "Bandstand Tonight!" Without Meg, this was nothing. Life was nothing. Without Meg, he was nothing. 


End file.
